


'The thing'

by Ulquii



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: But everyone see their bullshit, Fake Dating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, He does everything for Keith, I'll die with this tag lmao, M/M, Mensos pining, Mutual Pining, Shiro (Voltron) is a Mess, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29504025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ulquii/pseuds/Ulquii
Summary: “Oh, no,” Shiro says belatedly, looking down to the watch that isn’t on his wrist, “I didn’t realize it was so late!”“Do you have somewhere you have to be?” Allura asks, genuinely curious, but Pidge narrows her eyes, already suspicious.“Yeah, a date,” Shiro says proudly. Keith’s frown deepens.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 24





	'The thing'

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bioplast_hero](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bioplast_hero/gifts).



> Gosh, we love these two (2) idiots. Happy Valentine's day!

Shiro knows how awful Keith’s day has been even before he walks in. There’s a tired shuffle on his steps, a heavy hunch on his shoulders, and Shiro’s heart drops when he sees the bags under his eyes, expression weary with exhaustion. Shiro is aware that Keith’s job is exhausting — an introvert having to work at a coffee shop where all you do is serve expensive drinks and entertain in conversations with rich airheads is a death sentence of its own.

And today, of all days, Valentine’s day where everything is love-themed, with couples making love eyes to their significant other and bitter singles that only complain about their singleness, Shiro is pretty sure Keith is more than deadbeat after serving pinkish  beverages and having to keep a straight, happy face for more than 4 hours.

“You’re late,” Pidge points out when Keith steps inside the heavily decorated room — Shiro almost didn’t recognize Lance's apartment where they have been meeting every month, so flooded with paper hearts of different shades of red.

“Shut up,” Keith grumbles without heat, squinting at the decorations, “Got held up at work.”

Shiro sighs, watching Keith slump towards him and drop his dead weight on the chair beside him. 

“Hey,” he says quietly, and Keith  acknowledges him with a weak nod, “How is it going?”

“I see pink everywhere and I have red coloring number 40 staining my fingers.” He wiggles them, the red  color still there even when he obviously tried to wash it off, “So it’s not going so good.”

Shiro grimaces and Keith sighs heavily, slumping even more in the chair.

“Worse is,” Keith starts, “I can’t even find the energy to excuse myself from this, because it’s the only day I get to see you and...”

Shiro stares at his profile, mind running. He knows how important it is for all of their group to keep meeting after years of graduating from college. Their friendship has gotten even stronger after they each went their own ways. That is the reason why Allura insisted for them to meet in Valentine’s Day instead of every second Friday of the month. There was still a couple of days for that.

“Hey,” Shiro whispers when he sees Hunk coming from the kitchen, trailed by Lance, and Keith grunts in response, “Follow my lead.”

Keith frowns at him, and startles when Shiro suddenly stands, everyone turning their attention to him.

“Oh, no,” Shiro says belatedly, looking down to the watch that isn’t on his wrist, “I didn’t realize it was so late!”

“Do you have somewhere you have to be?” Allura asks, genuinely curious, but Pidge narrows her eyes, already suspicious.

“Yeah, a date,” Shiro says proudly. Keith’s frown deepens.

“You got a date?!” Hunk asks with shock, and Lance mouths a few times, “That’s good news! Why didn’t you say something before?”

Shiro blinks and clears his throat, “Because I thought I could make it from here, but it seems it ran a little late.”

“Because mullet was late,” Lance hisses, making Keith shoot him a glare.

“No, no,” Shiro chuckles, hands up in a placating matter, “That’s the thing though.”

“‘The thing’?” Pidge repeats, eyebrow arched, “What’s the thing?”

Shiro gives Keith a quick glance and sees him perk up, going pale.

“Shiro-”

“My date is with Keith!” Shiro announces with a grin.

Allura gasps, hand on her mouth, and Hunk lets out a long ‘aw’ at them. Lance squeaks, though.

“What?” Pidge asks and Shiro shrugs.

“Yeah,” Shiro waves it off, trying to control his nerves, “We, uh, started dating a few weeks ago and we had tonight booked for the other.”

“What the actual fuck?” Lance questions, “Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” Shiro answers, turning to Keith, who looks at him with his mouth open and eyes wide in shock, “Right, honey?”

Shiro winces when his voice cracks in the pet name, and Keith stares at him like he grew a second head.

“What?” he hushes out, but before the rest can call out their bullshit, Shiro takes his hand, pulling for him to stand, “Shiro, what are you-”

“Let’s go, sweetie,” Shiro insists through a forced smile, rounding Keith’s shoulders with his arm and guiding him to the front door, “I have the whole night planned out!”

Keith keeps staring at him, mouthing around unsaid words, and Shiro excuses them from their friends instead, saying goodbye and wishing them a good night. He hears Lance choke behind them, Hunk saying he knew they were together, while Allura asks since when they have been together. 

Pidge stays unnervingly quiet. Shiro can feel her gaze on their backs, making him sweat.

“What was that?” Keith asks after they have been walking for a few blocks now, neither to Keith’s place or to Shiro’s.

“Well, you needed an excuse to get out of it, right?” Shiro asks, bashful. He hasn’t pulled away from Keith, arm still draped around his shoulders and keeping him plastered to his side, “And, um, I guess I didn’t think it thorough.”

Keith stays silent for a second and Shiro thinks he made a mistake. He’s about to apologize when Keith starts to shake, laughter falling from his grin.

“Oh, my god, you dork,” Keith laughs, making Shiro smile, “You’re my hero.”

And it may have been the red hearts drawn in the window behind Keith, or the bright smile he gives Shiro, or the breeze that ruffles his hair and makes his eyes flutter, but Shiro’s heart stutters against his ribcage, jumping up to his throat.

“Always, Keith,” he breathes out, too earnest, "For you.”

Keith’s smile crooks a little at a side and he leans closer to wrap his arms around Shiro’s middle, cheek  plush on Shiro’s pec.

“Thank you,” he whispers, and Shiro gulps, warmth twisting his guts, “Should we go to our date?”

Shiro pulls away before he can think better of it, startling Keith.

“Date?” he asks and Keith nods.

“If you want to,” Keith shrugs it off, “We could order pizza and watch Sci-fi movies at my place. Take it as a thanks for pulling me out of there.”

Shiro blinks down at him, “Aren’t you too tired?”

Keith looks away, cheeks growing pink, “Well, I am. But I can hang out with you. Don’t get mad if I pass out in the middle of the movie, though.”

“No, never,” Shiro chuckles, taking a breath and then nodding, “Okay, yeah. I’d like it.”

Keith smiles at him, “You buy the drinks, though.”

Shiro laughs and hugs him close, making him stumble into his chest and squeak out a curse, “Happy Valentine’s day.”

Keith goes still, and then burrows closer, “Happy Valentine’s day.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject) (including the [LLF Comment Builder](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/commentbuilder)), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates responses, including:
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> 

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> If you don’t want a reply, for any reason (sometimes I feel shy when I’m reading and not up to starting a conversation, for example), feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!
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> ~
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